Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou will just be a larger version of the miserable Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor mismatch
FRANCIS NGANNOU is threatening when he’s kicking in a cage – but when he steps into the ring with Tyson Fury he will be about as menacing as a water pistol.
Fury faces former Mixed Martial Arts champion Francis Ngannou over ten rounds under Marquess of Queensberry rules in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 28.
It’s just going to be a much larger version of the Floyd Mayweather Jr v Conor McGregor miserable mismatch in Las Vegas six years ago.
McGregor’s vociferous army of followers were laughingly convinced the UFC superstar was going to be too much of a brute for Mayweather to handle.
It turned out to be the biggest anti-climax since it was proved the Loch Ness monster didn’t exist.
McGregor was completely out of his depth. Mayweather managed to hold him up long enough until he felt the ringside customers and TV audience had got enough of their money’s worth before finishing him off in the tenth.
Inevitably for the next three months we will be bombarded by tall tales that Fury will be facing a murderous beast.
But I will be surprised if Fury doesn’t do a Mayweather – toy with ferocious-looking Ngannou until he decides it’s time to take him out.
Mayweather earned more than £200million to put McGregor back in his place and Fury has been made an offer he couldn’t refuse to be part of this Mickey Mouse match-up.
The Gypsy King is by far Britain’s most popular fighter. But if social media is to be believed he has irritated and frustrated many of his fans due to his inactivity.
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He seemed to have embraced one of Sir Winston Churchill’s most significant remarks that Jaw-Jaw was better than War-War.
Tyson hasn’t had a meaningful fight since knocking out Dillian Whyte and defending his WBC world heavyweight title in April last year in front of a record 94,000 Wembley crowd.
His supporters certainly won’t be happy he’s taken the easiest road to further riches, which Anthony Joshua has described as “this nonsense.”
It will be interesting to see how many – in the present financial climate – will be prepared to fork out the £27 it’s likely to cost to see it on PPV in what, after all, is a gimmick event.
Fury is simply following the golfers and footballers who are filling their pockets with immense amounts of Arabian gold.
Every boxing lover wanted to see Tyson in a unification fight with Oleksandr Usyk or a Battle of Britain punch-up with Joshua.
Fury’s supporters won’t be happy he’s taken the easiest road to further riches
Colin Hart
Given Fury’s commitments until next year it’s getting more unlikely we will ever see him fight those two – and nearly two years would have elapsed before he’s able to make another defence.
He has a large family to take care of – he’s a professional so no one should criticise him for the millions he’ll take away from the Middle East.
But I feel he has demeaned the world championship belt he’s held for three years by getting involved with Ngannou.
Fury should do the honourable thing and give up the WBC title to allow Deontay Wilder and Joshua – if he beats Whyte next month – to fight for it in December.
Then the winner could meet either Usyk or Daniel Dubois early next year and boxing can have the unified world heavyweight champion it craves.